Devices of smart grid and other telemetry systems communicate with a core network, such as a core network of a utility (e.g., an electric company or water district). The devices communicate with the network for various purposes, including receiving instructions for operation and reporting measurements. Many devices have protocol stacks enabling communications by various open protocols, such as Wi-Fi® or Zigbee® (Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, of Austin, Tex., and Zigbee is a registered trademark of ZigBee Alliance, of San Ramon, Calif.). Some devices include Internet Protocol (IP) stacks enabling communications of IP services to and from the remote device.
Communication via IP services is an increasingly preferred method of communicating with remote devices, such as smart grid devices. There are a few, generally undesirable, options for communicating with devices lacking an IP stack. A technician can travel to the site of the device and replace the entire device with one having an IP stack. As another option, the remote device may continue operation without an IP stack and forego the benefits available by way of using IP services.